Dignified broad footprint beach wheelchair

Abstract

A wheelchair or a vehicle for sand or loose soil comprises one or more skids, each equipped with a spring-loaded roller or roller plate. Examples of the vehicle include a wheelchair and a planetary rover. Preferably, a beach, shower or pool wheelchair comprises two front skids in place of front wheels. The skids provide a resistance-free, broad footprint in the sand and a low-resistance narrow footprint when used on hard, e.g. boardwalk, surfaces. A wheelchair may further comprise a lightweight, easy to fold frame, which closes like a pair of eyeglasses. Still further, a wheelchair may provide a removable and reclining lounge chair seat to allow the user to exit the wheelchair to enter the water or sit and recline on the sand. In addition, dog bone or dumbbell shaped wheels provide the wheelchair strong, lightweight support and a wide footprint and can be equipped with grip notches for user self-propulsion. The inventive wheelchair provides the user with a combination of improvements, which respect the user's grace and dignity.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a vehicle for sand, loose soil or soft terrain equipped with a skid comprising a spring-loaded roller. In particular, the present invention provides a foldable beach wheelchair having a removable seat and two front skids, each comprising a spring-loaded roller or a removable roller plate which provide a low-resistance, broad footprint on the sand and a narrow, low resistance footprint on pavement, boardwalk or hard ground.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWith very limited success, wheelchairs have been adapted to access areas requiring travel over soft terrain, such as sand, loose soil and gravel. Attempts at designing beach wheelchairs, in particular those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,850, to Rice et al., provided removable wide metal bands surrounding the propulsion wheels of the wheelchair so as to keep the wheels from sinking in the sand. However, such beach wheelchairs and their additional parts would invariably sink into the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a wheelchair comprising a seat, two rear wheels, two front skids and a frame onto which each of the seat, wheels and skids are mounted. Each front skid on the wheelchair comprises a skid body having within it a spring-loaded roller or a removable roller plate on which the wheelchair rests, creating little resistance while the wheelchair rolls on pavement or hard ground. In addition, the skid body provides a broad footprint to decrease resistance and to prevent sinking in sand, soft terrain or loose soil. Spring tension keeps the roller tight in its socket to prevent sand or soil penetration into the roller and consequent fouling. The roller plate edge may or may not be flush with the bottom surface or the skid and the roller plate and roller may be interchangeable. Further, dumbbell or dog bone shaped rear wheels provide a wide footprint and the wheels and frame of the wheelchair are constructed of a lightweight, corrosion proof material. Still further, a removable, reclining seat supports the full length of the wheelchair user's legs with a comfortable porous film material and allows for easy exit and re-entry. Accordingly, the present invention provides a highly mobile and dignified beach wheelchair.

The present invention further provides a wheelchair frame comprising side wings that fold inwardly against said back rest support, wherein each side wing may be equipped with one or more than one slidable ledger disposed horizontally under the seat, for example, under the seat at or above the user's knee, such as under the thigh above the knee, to support seats having variable widths. Further, by sliding outwardly as the side wings fold inwardly, the ledgers allow the side wings to fold without obstruction against the inside of the back of the wheelchair frame. The side wings may further have a hinge stop that causes the wings to lock against the back rest support and allows the wings to fold and unfold with a flipping action, like the arms of a pair of eyeglasses.

Problems solved by technology

With very limited success, wheelchairs have been adapted to access areas requiring travel over soft terrain, such as sand, loose soil and gravel.

However, such beach wheelchairs and their additional parts would invariably sink into the sand and get fouled and the metal in such chairs would corrode in the salt air.

Further, the front wheels or casters would sink into the sand anyway, dragging the user and her dignity down with them.

Compounding the indignity caused by immobile, corrosable and easily fouled beach wheelchairs, existing beach wheelchairs fold like an accordion and their frames often start folding on their own during the user's struggle to travel on the sand.

The wheelchairs thus fail to support the user properly and can thereby cause muscle and back strain.

As if this were not enough indignity, the seating materials of existing beach wheelchairs do not breathe and can cause chafing and discomfort.

However, the low pressure tire concept does not solve the problem of fouling or corrosion and does not address the problem caused when any tires, front or rear, sink in the sand.

Further, the low-pressure tire concept does not address the need to provide an easy to fold wheelchair that does not fail to support the user when in use.

Still further, no seat materials are taught or suggested which prevent chafing and irritation to the user.

Finally, wheelchair users still lack for a beach wheelchair that allows easy exit and re-entry to permit them to get on the beach or enter the water.

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